Best of Enemies (2015)

Purely Joyful Movie!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The best conversation I have seen. Very informative talk and creative people. We miss those days where individuals differ in idea still talk with respect and true admiration with others. Holding opinion and saying it blatantly is not a lot of happening these days. I really love the people who produced and got all the tapes together. True regards to them and sharing ideas is great art than anything. I like the points made by Vidal, the propagator of peace and liberty. The hard work they put into learning things is great which current generation has to learn and adapt. We are looking for the means to the resource and not interested in the knowledge of it.

Great documentary. It really explains how television would never be the same and how the clashing of personalities between these 2 men, William F. Buckley and Gore Vida,l created a television ecosystem of personalities with channels like Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc.. This documentary really shows how our country and it's media has become divided through political ideologies. I also think Buckley won and Vidal was more of the bully even though Buckley's famous line was a bit harsh. Yet I think Vidal,a so what open homosexual suspected homosexuality in Buckley because Buckley was a member of the Bohemian Grove, a club known for a bit of promiscuous and homosexual behavior amongst men.

1968 was before my time I wasn't born till 1978 still I know and have studied enough history to know what the times were like and have heard by now and read and have done my homework on the legendary figures of Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley. Finally got to watch this new like documentary called "Best of Enemies" Buckley vs. Vidal. And the title is so true and I must say after watching this telling of footage it rings so true from the interviews and debate footage it was interesting and so educational that any political or history buff will enjoy. The film centers around the summer of 1968 as the news would change forever as last place in the ratings network ABC made the choice to put two educated and know a lot people on to debate each other during the Democratic and Republican conventions. Enter William F. Buckley Jr. a rich arrogant snob like conservative who lead the new wave march for the right. And second up the outspoken and always talking liberal Gore Vidal who was also a novelist and champion for the left. During the debates both thought each others views were wrong for America as it even got to heated verbal exchanges and name calling and in the day in age with class and political clashing of the 1960's war and fight for freedom ABC news had a ratings hit. To bad in today's pundit land of political TV it can't no longer be like this as the networks have became to one sided and don't encourage debate and educated thought even if it does lead to verbal words and name calling the country needs more debates from people on the opposite sides. Gore Vidal and William Buckley both were legends who challenged and caused thought and asked questions of many, to bad we don't have any around like those two both the wit and smarts of Vidal and Buckley is really missed in today's TV pundit political world.

"Best of Enemies" (2015 release; 88 min.) is a documentary about the infamous 10 televised debates that took place during the 1968 Republican and Democratic Presidential Conventions (in Miami and Chicago, respectively), between conservative William Buckley Jr. and liberal Gore Vidal. As the documentary opens, Vidal is commentating about old pictures hanging up in his house and one of them is showing Buckley and Vidal at one of those debates. We then get some background as to who these 2 guys are, and why ABC veered away to bring the "unconventional Convention" coverage. And then we get to the first debate... To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this documentary is co-directed by Morgan "20 Feet From Stardom" Neville and Robert Gordon, who is affiliated with the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank. If you think that means the documentary is kinder to Buckley that to Vidal, think again. The two men are pitted against each other, and vehemently disdain each other, even before these debates, and much more so afterwards. "It was a confrontation of life styles", as someone comments. Yes, it was, but as it turns out, these debates had another unexpected consequence: ABC's ratings went through the roof, and the other mainstream networks quickly realized they had to have their own versions of these "point-counterpoint" programs. In other words, the Buckley-Vidal debates set into motion what would eventually become the Fox's and MSNBC's news channels. Apart from the historical legacy created by these debates, the documentary also examines the long shadows cast be the debates over the personal lives of both Vidal and (even more so) Buckley. If you have any interest in politics and/or in TV history, you will not want to miss this documentary. It makes for completing viewing, period."Best of Enemies" made quite a splash at the Sundance film festival earlier this year. The movie's been out for months and I didn't think it would reach theaters here in Cincinnati, but then out of the blue t showed up this weekend at my local art-house theater here. I figured this would not be playing very long and went to see it right away, The matinée screening where I saw this at turned into a private screening, as in: I literally was the only person in the theater. A shame, as this is a riveting documentary. If you get the chance to see this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, do not mist it! "BEst of Enemies" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!